The present invention relates generally to inkjet printheads, and more particularly to a wide-array inkjet printhead assembly.
A conventional inkjet printing system includes a printhead and an ink supply which supplies liquid ink to the printhead. The printhead ejects ink drops through a plurality of orifices or nozzles and toward a print medium, such as a sheet of paper, so as to print onto the print medium. Typically, the orifices are arranged along one or more axes such that properly sequenced ejection of ink from the orifices causes characters or other images to be printed upon the print medium as the printhead and the print medium are moved relative to each other.
In one arrangement, commonly referred to as a wide-array inkjet printing system, a plurality of individual printheads, also referred to as printhead dies, are mounted on a single carrier. As such, a number of nozzles and, therefore, an overall number of ink drops which can be ejected per second is increased. Since the overall number of drops which can be ejected per second is increased, printing speed can be increased with the wide-array inkjet printing system.
Mounting a plurality of printhead dies on a single carrier, however, requires proper alignment between the printhead dies. Misalignment between the printhead dies can adversely affect performance of the inkjet printing system. Misalignment between the printhead dies along an axis along which the nozzles are arranged, for example, leads to printing swath gaps which must be covered by multi-pass printing techniques. Unfortunately, multi-pass printing leads to slower throughput and increases the potential for printing defects such as banding. Thus, in order to create a continuous printing swath, the plurality of printhead dies should be properly mounted and aligned relative to each other on the single carrier. In addition, mounting a plurality of printhead dies on a single carrier requires that the carrier accommodate fluidic and electrical routing to and provide support for each of the printhead dies.
Accordingly, a need exists for properly mounting and aligning a plurality of printhead dies on a single carrier of a wide-array inkjet printhead assembly such that misalignment between the printhead dies and, therefore, gaps in a printing swath created by the wide-array inkjet printhead assembly are avoided while fluidic and electrical routing to and support for each of the printhead dies is maintained.
One aspect of the present invention provides an inkjet printhead assembly. The inkjet printhead assembly includes a carrier and a plurality of printhead dies each mounted on the carrier, wherein each of the printhead dies include a nominal nozzle region and an alignment nozzle region disposed laterally of the nominal nozzle region.
In one embodiment, an edge of the nominal nozzle region of a first of the printhead dies is substantially aligned with an edge of the nominal nozzle region of a second of the printhead dies. In one embodiment, an edge of the alignment nozzle region of a first of the printhead dies is substantially aligned with an edge of the alignment nozzle region of a second of the printhead dies.
In one embodiment, the alignment nozzle region of a first of the printhead dies overlaps the nominal nozzle region of a second of the printhead dies, and the alignment nozzle region of the second of the printhead dies overlaps the nominal nozzle region of the first of the printhead dies. In one embodiment, the alignment nozzle region of a first of the printhead dies is aligned laterally within the alignment nozzle region of a second of the printhead dies.
In one embodiment, each of the printhead dies include a plurality of nominal nozzles formed in the nominal nozzle region thereof and a plurality of alignment nozzles formed in the alignment nozzle region thereof.
In one embodiment, the alignment nozzle region of each of the printhead dies includes a first alignment nozzle region and a second alignment nozzle region, wherein the first and second alignment nozzle regions are disposed at opposite ends of the nominal nozzle region.
In one embodiment, each of the printhead dies includes a die end margin disposed laterally of the alignment nozzle region. In one embodiment, each of the printhead dies includes an electrical connection region disposed laterally of the die end margin.
In one embodiment, the inkjet printhead assembly also includes a second carrier and a second plurality of printhead dies each mounted on the second carrier, wherein each of the second plurality of printhead dies have a nozzle region. As such, the nozzle region of at least one of the second plurality of printhead dies overlaps the alignment nozzle region of at least one of the first named plurality of printhead dies.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of forming an inkjet printhead assembly. The method includes providing a carrier and mounting a plurality of printhead dies on the carrier, wherein each of the printhead dies include a nominal nozzle region and an alignment nozzle region disposed laterally of the nominal nozzle region.
Another aspect of the present invention provides an inkjet printhead module. The inkjet printhead module includes a carrier, a first printhead die mounted on the carrier, and a second printhead die mounted on the carrier and offset from the first printhead die. The first printhead die and the second printhead die both include a plurality of nominal nozzles and a plurality of alignment nozzles disposed laterally of the nominal nozzles.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of forming an inkjet printhead module. The method includes providing a carrier, mounting a first printhead die on the carrier, and mounting a second printhead die on the carrier and offsetting the second printhead die from the first printhead die. The first printhead die and the second printhead die both include a plurality of nominal nozzles and a plurality of alignment nozzles disposed laterally of the nominal nozzles.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a wide-array inkjet printhead assembly which includes a plurality of printhead dies each having a plurality of nominal nozzles and a plurality of alignment nozzles which form a nominal nozzle region and an alignment nozzle region, respectively. As such, the nominal and alignment nozzle regions facilitate alignment between and sufficient overlap of the printhead dies. Thus, printing swath gaps are avoided and efficient layout of the wide-array inkjet printhead assembly is established.